When we arrived in Pacific City, Oregon we were ready to take on the largest sand dune in the USA, and to spend some time on the beach. What we were not expecting was the cold, foggy and windy weather that made it difficult to spend more than a few minutes on the beach, and the illness that was to sweep through our family like wildfire. Fortunately we were prepared for almost anything. From Pepto Bismol to First Aid Kits, Board Games to Windproof Baby Blankets, here are the things that kept us going when the going got tough...

Our second day of travel had us arriving in Crescent City just past nightfall. We had every intention of using our usual last minute lodging formula -  a complex algorhythm involving the AAA diamond sytems , online travel reviews, a drive by assessment of the cars in the parking lot, and a whole lotta luck.  But luck, this evening, was not on our side. Flashing signs on every hotel and motel shoo'ed us away. No Vacancy. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Read on to see how we made it through the night and next day...

Until we got a Clek, I never really believed that carseats could be fun. They were always a necessary evil, something that we invested in because we were responsible parents. Our kids sat in them begrudgingly, for the most part. But only after we spent half an afternoon cursing and moaning as we attempted to properly install them.

And then there was the Clek Olli. It's a backless booster, meant to be used with older children, between 40-100lbs and 40-57 inches. They must be able to sit properly with a lap positioning belt to use it safely. What sets Clek apart from other boosters is that is latches. Easily. Click Click. You may wonder why that is necessary, but slam on the brakes or take a sharp left and see what happens to other boosters. They slip and slide and can actually pose a threat to the person seated in them or beside them if they accidentally trigger the release of the lap positioning belt. Or they can become an airborne missile inside your car. Not good.

The Clek Olli is narrow enough to let other passengers sit in the back seat with the kids, but wide enough not to pinch anyone's bottom.

And finally - not to be forgotten, they are fashionable. They look cool. Our Clek is zebra print and looks just amazing with our black leather car interior. Like we tricked out our vehicle with custom kiddie seats. We keep an extra one installed "Just in Case" knowing full well that the kids will end up fighting over who gets to sit in the extra carseat. Which is a lot better than having them fight over riding in a carseat to begin with.

For years now I have been a stroller stable kind of girl. I humbly accepted the fact that there was no one stroller that could truly do it all. Which is how my garage evolved into a stroller stable of sorts. There were the carseat friendly "systems", the mall cruisers and off road giants, the sleekly compact and impossibly lightweight city strollers for urban travel, the posh bassinet models for neighborhood strolls with an infant… Friends commented on my “problem” and I blithely explained to all that it was simply impossible for one stroller to do it ALL. How could a connosiour such as myself be expected to choose, to skimp, to limit myself to a single stroller that could hardly do all of what my many models could collectively do.

Well prove me wrong.

I’d like to introduce you the the Micralite Toro. The stroller that really can do it all. If it made margaritas, I might even marry it.

The beaches in LA county are a little safer of late, thanks to these customized Ford Escape Hybrids. These vehicles have been outfitted for the lifeguards with highly organized interiors and specialized equipment. Lifeguards report that the Escape's V-6 like accelleration is particularly suited for use on the sand. The vehicles are both environmentally friendly and practical, travelling up to 500 miles on a single tank of gas. They have proven extremely reliable - good to know when lives are literally at stake! Bonus points for the internal organization that enables the lifeguards to keep all their supplies exactly where they need them, so they can be retrieved in a flash.